Load Shedding By An Electric Utility

ABSTRACT

Load shedding by an electric utility, including querying power distribution systems that include a DRG system for present power consumption of the local load of the power distribution system; selecting, in dependence upon the present power consumption of the local load of the power distribution systems and predefined power consumption criteria for each substation, a substation to receive a reduction in power; and reducing power provided to the selected substation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The field of the invention is data processing, or, more specifically,methods, apparatus, and products for load shedding.

2. Description of Related Art

From time to time, electric grid demand exceeds supply capabilities ofan electric utility. When confronted with such a situation, electricutilities may allow system voltage to decline—a brownout—or shed loads—ablackout. If the amount required to be produced for a brownout exceedsthe electric utility's reserve capacity, the excess demand is greaterthan what could be tolerated by implementing a brownout and loadshedding must occur. Present methods of selecting portions of theelectric grid to blackout ignore actual present power consumption bytheir electricity consumers. In fact, until recently granular knowledgeof power consumption by electricity consumers was not possible. Today,however, distributed renewable generation systems, such asmicro-hydroelectric, photovoltaic, and wind turbine systems, oftenimplement machinery capable of data communications with the electricutility.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Methods, apparatus, and products for load shedding by an electricutility are disclosed in which the electric utility is capable ofproviding electricity to one or more power distribution systemsorganized into one or more substations, at least one power distributionsystem in at least one substation includes a distributed renewablegeneration (‘DRG’) system, the DRG system is capable of providing powerto the electric utility, a local load, and one or more batteries forstorage, and each power distribution system is connected for datacommunications through a data communications network to the electricutility. Load shedding according to embodiments of the present inventionincludes: querying, by the electric utility, power distribution systemsthat include a DRG system for present power consumption of the localload of the power distribution system; selecting, in dependence upon thepresent power consumption of the local load of the power distributionsystems and predefined power consumption criteria for each substation, asubstation to receive a reduction in power; and reducing power providedto the selected substation.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of theinvention will be apparent from the following more particulardescriptions of exemplary embodiments of the invention as illustrated inthe accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers generallyrepresent like parts of exemplary embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 sets forth a block diagram of an exemplary system for loadshedding according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary power distribution system that includes alocal DRG system and also participates in electric utility load sheddingaccording to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 sets forth a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for loadshedding according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 sets forth a flow chart illustrating a further exemplary methodfor load shedding according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 sets forth a flow chart illustrating a exemplary method ofparticipating in electrical utility load shedding according toembodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Exemplary methods, apparatus, and products for load shedding inaccordance with the present invention are described with reference tothe accompanying drawings, beginning with FIG. 1. FIG. 1 sets forth ablock diagram of an exemplary system for load shedding according toembodiments of the present invention. Load shedding as the term is usedhere refers to the process carried out by an electric utility in whichthe electric utility reduces or eliminates power supply to one or moreelectrical loads. Such load shedding typically occurs when demand forpresent demand for electricity exceeds possible supply by the electricutility. A load that is shed is said to experience a ‘blackout.’

The exemplary load shedding system of FIG. 1 includes an electricutility (128) that is capable of providing electricity to powerdistribution systems (100) organized in one of several substations (184,186, 188, 190). The electric utility (128) provides power to thesubstations through electricity mains (129). Only one power lineconnection per substation is depicted in the example of FIG. 1 forclarity, not limitation. Readers of skill in the art will immediatelyrecognize that other devices, machinery, switches, transformers, powerlines, power substations, and other power distribution technology may beimplemented in the exemplary system of FIG. 1 to enable the electricutility (128) to provide power to the power substations. The termelectric utility (128) may refer, as context requires, to the electricdistribution utility as such or to automated computing machinery thatcarries out load shedding according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

A substation as the term is used here is a collection of one or morepower distribution systems. A power distribution system, depicted in theexample system of FIG. 1 as a PDS (100), is a collection of computerhardware, computer software, machinery, and other components thatdistributes power from one or more sources to one or more loads. Somepower distribution systems include a distributed renewable generation(‘DRG’) system, while other power distribution systems do not. DRGsystems are power generation technologies that provide an alternative toor an enhancement of traditional electric utility power systems. DRGsystems are described as ‘renewable’ when resources used to generatepower in the system are renewable resources such as wind, solar power,and water. Examples of DRG systems useful in power distribution systemsthat participate in load shedding according to embodiments of thepresent invention include photovoltaic (‘PV’) systems,micro-hydroelectric systems, and wind turbine systems.

Substations useful in systems that perform load shedding in accordancewith embodiments of the present invention may include any combination oftypes of power distribution systems: those with a DRG and those without.In the example system of FIG. 1, substation (184) includes three powerdistribution systems: two which include a DRG system (122) and one whichdoes not. Substation (186) includes two power distribution system,neither of which includes a DRG system (122). Substation (188) in theexample of FIG. 1 includes three power distribution systems: one with aDRG system (122) and two without. Substation (190) includes two powerdistribution systems, one with a DRG system (122) and one without.Readers of skill in the art will immediately recognize that substationsuseful in systems that perform load shedding in accordance withembodiments of the present invention may include any number of powerdistribution systems, much more in fact, than two or three depicted herefor clarity of explanation. Each DRG system (122) in the example of FIG.1, is capable of providing power to the electric utility (128), to alocal load (124), and to one or more batteries (120) for storage.

The electric utility (128) includes automated computing machinerycomprising an exemplary computer (150) useful in load shedding accordingto embodiments of the present invention. The computer (150) of FIG. 1includes at least one computer processor (156) or ‘CPU’ as well asrandom access memory (168) (‘RAM’) which is connected through a highspeed memory bus (166) and bus adapter (158) to processor (156) and toother components of the computer (150).

Stored in RAM (168) is a load shedding application (176), a module ofcomputer program instructions that when executed controls operation ofthe computer (150) for load shedding according to embodiments of thepresent invention. That is, the electric utility (128) carries out loadshedding according to embodiments of the present invention through useof automated computing machinery, the aggregation of the load sheddingapplication (176) and the computer (150). The load shedding applicationmay carry out load shedding according to embodiments of the presentinvention by querying power distribution systems (184, 188, 190) thatinclude a DRG system (122) for present power consumption (106) of thelocal load (124) of the power distribution system (184, 188, 190);selecting, in dependence upon the present power consumption (106) of thelocal load of the power distribution systems (100) and predefined powerconsumption criteria (107) for each substation (184, 188, 190), asubstation (182) to receive a reduction in power; and reducing powerprovided to the selected substation (182).

The load shedding application (176) may store results of the queries(148) sent to the power distribution systems (184, 188, 190) thatinclude a DRG system (122) in a data structure, such as the examplepresent power consumption table (146) of FIG. 1. The present powerconsumption table (146) may include records that associate a substationidentifier (144), a power distribution system identifier (145) and apower distribution system's present power consumption (106).

The load shedding application (176) may select a substation (182), independence upon predefined power consumption criteria, to receive areduction in power in various ways. Predefined power consumptioncriteria may refer to measures and rules governing the selection of asubstation to receive a reduction in power. In the example of FIG. 1,the predefined power consumption criteria (107) not only specifiesmeasures used to govern the selection as predetermined expected powerconsumption for each substation, and specifies the rules governingselection. The rules in the example of FIG. 1 specify that the loadshedding application may select a substation to receive a reduction inpower by: averaging, for each substation (300), the present powerconsumption (106) of the local loads (124), calculating (314), for eachsubstation (300) having an average present power consumption (324)greater than a predetermined expected power consumption (194) for thatsubstation, a difference (318) between the average present powerconsumption (324) and the predetermined expected power consumption(194); and identifying (316), as the substation (320) to receive thereduction in power, a substation (300) having the greatest difference(318) between the average present power consumption (324) and thepredetermined expected power consumption (194).

Also stored in RAM (168) is an operating system (154). Operating systemsuseful load shedding according to embodiments of the present inventioninclude UNIX™, Linux™, Microsoft XP™, AIX™, IBM's i5/OS™, and others aswill occur to those of skill in the art. The operating system (154),load shedding application (176), present power consumption table (194),and so on in the example of FIG. 1 are shown in RAM (168), but manycomponents of such software typically are stored in non-volatile memoryalso, such as, for example, on a disk drive (170).

The computer (150) of FIG. 1 includes disk drive adapter (172) coupledthrough expansion bus (160) and bus adapter (158) to processor (156) andother components of the computer (150). Disk drive adapter (172)connects non-volatile data storage to the computer (150) in the form ofdisk drive (170). Disk drive adapters useful in computers for loadshedding according to embodiments of the present invention includeIntegrated Drive Electronics (‘IDE’) adapters, Small Computer SystemInterface (‘SCSI’) adapters, and others as will occur to those of skillin the art. Non-volatile computer memory also may be implemented for asan optical disk drive, electrically erasable programmable read-onlymemory (‘EEPROM’), Flash memory (142), RAM drives, and so on, as willoccur to those of skill in the art.

The example computer (150) of FIG. 1 includes one or more input/output(‘I/O’) adapters (178). I/O adapters implement user-orientedinput/output through, for example, software drivers and computerhardware for controlling output to display devices such as computerdisplay screens, as well as user input from user input devices (181)such as keyboards and mice. The example computer (150) of FIG. 1includes a video adapter (209), which is an example of an I/O adapterspecially designed for graphic output to a display device (180) such asa display screen or computer monitor. Video adapter (209) is connectedto processor (156) through a high speed video bus (164), bus adapter(158), and the front side bus (162), which is also a high speed bus.

The exemplary computer (150) of FIG. 1 includes a communications adapter(167) for data communications with other computers and for datacommunications with a data communications network (101). In the exampleof FIG. 1, the electric utility (128) is connected through the computer(150) and communications adapter (167) to each power distribution system(100) that includes a DRG system (122) through the data communicationsnetwork (101). Such data communications may be carried out seriallythrough RS-232 connections, through external buses such as a UniversalSerial Bus (‘USB’), through data communications networks such as IP datacommunications networks, and in other ways as will occur to those ofskill in the art. Communications adapters implement the hardware levelof data communications through which one computer sends datacommunications to another computer, directly or through a datacommunications network. Examples of communications adapters useful forload shedding according to embodiments of the present invention includemodems for wired dial-up communications, Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) adaptersfor wired data communications network communications, and 802.11adapters for wireless data communications network communications.

The arrangement of computers, power distribution systems, and networksmaking up the exemplary system illustrated in FIG. 1 are forexplanation, not for limitation. Data processing systems usefulaccording to various embodiments of the present invention may includeadditional servers, routers, other devices, and peer-to-peerarchitectures, not shown in FIG. 1, as will occur to those of skill inthe art. Networks in such data processing systems may support many datacommunications protocols, including for example TCP (TransmissionControl Protocol), IP (Internet Protocol), HTTP (HyperText TransferProtocol), WAP (Wireless Access Protocol), HDTP (Handheld DeviceTransport Protocol), and others as will occur to those of skill in theart. Various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented ona variety of hardware platforms in addition to those illustrated in FIG.1.

As mentioned above, load shedding according to embodiments of thepresent invention occurs by querying power distribution systems thatinclude a DRG system. For further explanation, therefore, FIG. 2 depictsan exemplary power distribution system that includes a local DRG systemand also participates in electric utility load shedding according toembodiments of the present invention. The example power distributionsystem (100) of FIG. 2 receives power from the electric utility (128)and includes a distributed renewable generation (‘DRG’) system (122).The DRG system (122) of FIG. 2 provides power to the electric utility(128), a local load (124), and one or more batteries (120) for storage.

The example DRG system (112) in FIG. 2 is depicted as a ‘local’ DRGsystem, so described because the DRG system is maintained and operatedby and for the benefit of the owner of the power distribution system incontrast to DRG systems located and operated by other entities. ‘Local’here may also mean that the DRG system is physically located near theload to which the DRG system provides power, but such a limitation onlocation is not necessary. That is, a local DRG systems in a powerdistribution system that participates in load shedding in accordancewith embodiments of the present invention may be physically located nearthe load to which the DRG system provides power or not.

DRG systems that provide power to an electric utility do so according toa net-metering policy. A net-metering policy is an electricity policythat specifies that a DRG system owner receives, from a utility, one ormore credits for at least a portion of electricity generated by the DRGsystem and provided to the utility. That is, a utility pays a DRG systemowner for electricity received by the utility and generated by theowner's DRG system. In prior art, such ‘payment’ is carried out byliterally spinning an electricity meter backwards for power generated bya DRG system and provided to the utility. Such bi-directional meters arereferred to as net-meters (132).

Installed as part of the main service disconnect (132) is a net-meter(132). Readers of skill in the art will recognize that inclusion of thenet-meter as part of the main service disconnect (130) is for purposesof clarity not limitation, a net-meter used in accordance withembodiments of the present invention may be configured as a stand alonedevice, a component separate and apart from the main service disconnect.A net-meter is device that meters net-electricity distributed throughthe main service disconnect to the load. The term ‘net’ here refers tothe difference in power provided to the load (124) from the utility andlocally generated power provided to the load and provided to the utilityalong power line (129). Locally generated power as the term is used inthis specification refers, as context requires, to any power generatedby a local DRG system (122) in a power distribution system (100),whether that power is currently generated and not stored or the powerwas previously generated and stored in the batteries.

The power distribution system in the example of FIG. 2 distributes powerto a local load (124). A local load (124) is an electrical load, aconsumer of power. The local load (124) in the example of FIG. 2receives operational power, typically AC power, through the main servicedisconnect (130). A main service disconnect is a switch that when open,disconnects the load (124) from power provided by the utility (128).Although not shown here for clarity, readers of skill in the art willrecognize that other electrical distribution components may be connectedto the main service disconnect (130) for distributing power to the load(124) such as line conditioners, circuit breakers, and the like. Themain service disconnect in the example of FIG. 2 may be provided powerto distribute to the load (124) from one or more sources: an electricutility (128) through power line (129) and the local DRG system (122)through the charge controller (118), Direct Current (‘DC’) bus (119),power inverters (134, 136), and phase legs (140).

A charge controller (118) is a device that limits the rate at whichelectric current generated by the local DRG system (122) is added to ordrawn from electric batteries along the DC bus (119). The example chargecontroller (118) is configured to monitor the battery's present state ofcharge. The term ‘state of charge’ as used in this specification mayrefer to either or both of a relative state of charge with respect tototal battery capacity, such as 90% charged, or a present batterycapacity, such as 24KW of a 26.7KW battery, as context requires.

The power inverters (134, 136) are configured to convert DC power intoAC power. The inverters in the example of FIG. 2 are grid-tie inverters:inverters that monitor AC supply waveforms from the utility (128) alongpower line (129), also referred to as ‘mains,’ and invert DC power fromthe local DRG system to AC power in phase with the AC supply for supplyto a load (124) and the utility (128). The example power inverters (134,136) of FIG. 2 are configured to sense AC production along the phaselegs.

The example system (100) of FIG. 2 also includes a control engine (152).A control engine (152) is a module of automated computing machinery thatparticipates in load shedding in accordance with embodiments of thepresent invention. That is, a control engine (152) may be implemented asan aggregation of computer hardware and software. In the example of FIG.2, the control module (152) is implemented as a computer (155), similarto the computer of FIG. 1 in that the computer (155) of FIG. 2, includesa computer processor (156), RAM (168), a high speed memory bus (166),bus adapter (158), flash memory (142), expansion bus (160), a front sidebus (162), a video adapter (209), a display (180), a communicationsadapter (167), an I/O adapter (178), I/O devices (181), drive adapters(172), disk drive (170), and so on.

The exemplary computer (155) of FIG. 2 is connected through thecommunications adapter (167) for data communications with othercomputers, with a data communications network, the PLC network (101),and with the following devices:

-   -   the electric utility (128) connected through the PLC network        (101) and data communications connection (127) to the computer        (155);    -   the main service disconnect (130) through data communications        connection (131);    -   the inverter (136) through data communications connection (141);    -   the inverter (134) through data communications connection (133);    -   the console (116) through data communications connection (115);    -   the charge controller (118) through data communications        connection (117);    -   and the current sensor (138) through data communications        connection (139).

The example power distribution system (100) of FIG. 2 connected for datacommunications through a power line communications (‘PLC’) network(101). PLC, also known as Power line Digital Subscriber Line (PDSL),mains communication, power line telecom (PLT), or power line networking(PLN), is a system for carrying data on a conductor also used forelectric power transmission. Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) uses PLCby sending and receiving information bearing signals over power lines toprovide access to the Internet. Electrical power is transmitted overhigh voltage transmission lines, distributed over medium voltage, andused inside buildings at lower voltages. Power line communications canbe applied at each stage. Most PLC technologies limit themselves to oneset of wires such as, for example, premises wiring, but some can crossbetween two levels such as, for example, both the distribution networkand premises wiring. Power line communications systems operate byimpressing a modulated carrier signal on the wiring system. Differenttypes of power line communications use different frequency bands,depending on the signal transmission characteristics of the power wiringused.

Stored in RAM (168) of the computer (155) is a control algorithm, amodule of computer program instructions that when executed operates thecomputer (155) as a control engine (152) for participating in loadshedding in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Thecontrol algorithm (126) may participate in load shedding according toembodiments of the present invention by: receiving from the electricutility (128) a query (148) for present power consumption (106) of thelocal load (124) of the power distribution system (100); determiningwhether a present state of charge (108) of the batteries (120) of thepower distribution system (100) is greater than a predeterminedthreshold (109); and responding to the electric utility's (128) query(148) with the present power consumption (106) of the local load only ifthe present state of charge of the one or more batteries of the powerdistribution system is greater than the predetermined threshold.

In substations of the current art, very few power distribution systemsinclude DRG systems. In fact, few substations at present likely have anypower distribution system that include a DRG system at all and as such,have no capability of receiving or responding to a query from theelectric utility. If the power distribution system (100) of FIG. 2 doesnot respond to the query (148), then it is unlikely that any other powerdistribution system in the same substation is capable of providing aresponse to the electric utility. Further, at present, the query itselfindicates, from the perspective of the power distribution system, thatthe electric utility is considering shedding a load. Without a responsefrom a substation, the electric utility is unlikely to select thatsubstation to receive a reduction in power. As such, the powerdistribution system (100) in the system of FIG. 2 responds to the query(148) only if the present state of charge of the batteries (120) is suchthat the power distribution system (100) can withstand a blackout.Otherwise, the power distribution system ignores the query and increasesits chances of remaining at full power.

For further explanation, FIG. 3 sets forth a flow chart illustrating anexemplary method for load shedding according to embodiments of thepresent invention. The method of FIG. 3 is carried out by an electricutility similar to the electric utility (128) depicted in the example ofFIG. 1, through use of automated computing machinery, such as thecomputer (150) and load shedding application (176) depicted in theexample of FIG. 1. The electric utility (128 on FIG. 1) is capable ofproviding electricity to one or more power distribution systems (100)organized into one or more substations (300). At least one of the powerdistribution systems (100) in at least one substation (300) includes adistributed renewable generation (‘DRG’) system (122). The DRG system(122) is capable of providing power to the electric utility (128 on FIG.1), a local load (124), and one or more batteries (120) for storage.Each power distribution system (100) is also connected for datacommunications through a data communications network (101 on FIG. 1) tothe electric utility (128 on FIG. 1).

The method of FIG. 3 includes querying (302), by the electric utility, anumber of power distribution systems that include a DRG system forpresent power consumption (106) of the local load (124) of the powerdistribution system (100). In the method of FIG. 3, querying (302) powerdistribution systems (100) that include a DRG system for present powerconsumption (106) is carried out by sending (304), by the electricutility to a control engine of each of the plurality of powerdistribution systems (100) that includes a DRG system (122) through thedata communications network in a data communications message (305), arequest (303) for the present power consumption (106) of the local load(124) of each power distribution system (100). The method of FIG. 3 alsoincludes receiving (306) responses from the power distribution systemsthat include a DRG system.

The method of FIG. 3 also includes selecting (308), in dependence uponthe present power consumption (106) of the local load (124) of the powerdistribution systems (100) and predefined power consumption criteria(107) for each substation (300), a substation (300) to receive areduction in power. Selecting (308) a substation (300) to receive areduction in power may be carried out by: averaging (310), for eachsubstation (300), the present power consumption (106) of the local loads(124) of power distribution systems (100) that include a DRG system(122) in the substation (300); calculating (314), for each substation(300) having an average present power consumption (324) greater than apredetermined expected power consumption (194) for that substation, adifference (318) between the average present power consumption (324) andthe predetermined expected power consumption (194); and identifying(316), as the substation (320) to receive the reduction in power, asubstation (300) having the greatest difference (318) between theaverage present power consumption (324) and the predetermined expectedpower consumption (194). The substation having the greatest differencebetween the average present power consumption (324) and the substation'spredetermined expected power consumption (194) is the so called ‘worstoffender’—the substation consuming more power, normalized for allsubstations, than any other substation.

The method of FIG. 3 also includes reducing (322) power provided to theselected substation (320). Reducing power provided to the selectedsubstation (320) may be carried out by controlling power distributionmachinery, switches, transformers, power distribution substations, andso on, to electrically disconnect the substation from the power supply.

For further explanation, FIG. 4 sets forth a flow chart illustrating afurther exemplary method for load shedding according to embodiments ofthe present invention. The method of FIG. 4 is similar to the method ofFIG. 3 including as it does querying (302) a plurality of powerdistribution systems that include a DRG system for present powerconsumption (106); selecting (308) a substation (300) to receive areduction in power; and reducing (322) power provided to the selectedsubstation (320).

The method of FIG. 4 differs from the method of FIG. 3, however, in thatin the method of FIG. 4, selecting (308) a substation (300) to receive areduction in power is carried out by averaging (402), for eachsubstation (300), the present power consumption (106) of the local loads(124) of power distribution systems (100) that include a DRG system(122) in the substation (300) and identifying (410), as the substation(320) to receive a reduction in power, a substation (300) having thegreatest average present power consumption (324). The substation havingthe greatest average present power consumption (324) may not be theso-called ‘worst offender,’ but represents the absolute highest powerconsumer among all substations. In view of the explanations set forthabove, readers will recognize that the benefits of load sheddingaccording to embodiments of the present invention include:

For further explanation, FIG. 5 sets forth a flow chart illustrating aexemplary method of participating in electrical utility load sheddingaccording to embodiments of the present invention. The method of FIG. 5is carried out by a control engine of a power distribution systemsimilar to the control engine (152) and power distribution system (100)depicted in the example of FIG. 2. The power distribution system (100 onFIG. 2) received electricity from an electric utility (128) and includesat a DRG system (122 on FIG. 2). The DRG system is capable of providingpower to the electric utility (128), a local load (124 on FIG. 2), andone or more batteries for storage (120 on FIG. 2). The powerdistribution system (100 on FIG. 2) is connected for data communicationsthrough a data communications network (101 on FIG. 2) to the electricutility (128).

The method of FIG. 5 includes receiving (502) from the electric utility(128), by a control engine of a power distribution system that includesa DRG system, a query (148) for present power consumption (106) of thelocal load of the power distribution system. Receiving (502) a query(148) from the electric utility may be carried out by receiving thequery via the data communications network in one or more datacommunications messages. The data communications network may beimplemented in some embodiments as a PLC network.

The method of FIG. 5 also includes determining (504) whether a presentstate of charge (108) of the one or more batteries of the powerdistribution system is greater than a predetermined threshold (109).Determining (504) whether a present state of charge (108) of the one ormore batteries of the power distribution system is greater than apredetermined threshold (109) may be carried out by retrieving from acharge controller, the present state of charge (108) of the batteries)and comparing the present state of charge to the predeterminedthreshold.

The method of FIG. 5 also includes responding (176) to the electricutility's (128) query (148) with the present power consumption (106) ofthe local load only if the present state of charge of the one or morebatteries of the power distribution system is greater than thepredetermined threshold. Responding (176) to the electric utility's(128) query may be carried out by sending, in one or more datacommunications messages, across the data communications network, datarepresenting preset power consumption of the local load. If the presentstate of charge of the one or more batteries of the power distributionsystem is not greater than the predetermined threshold, the method ofFIG. 5 continues by sending (508) no response to the electric utility.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described largely inthe context of a fully functional computer system for load shedding.Readers of skill in the art will recognize, however, that the presentinvention also may be embodied in a computer program product disposed onsignal bearing media for use with any suitable data processing system.Such signal bearing media may be transmission media or recordable mediafor machine-readable information, including magnetic media, opticalmedia, or other suitable media. Examples of recordable media includemagnetic disks in hard drives or diskettes, compact disks for opticaldrives, magnetic tape, and others as will occur to those of skill in theart. Examples of transmission media include telephone networks for voicecommunications and digital data communications networks such as, forexample, Ethernets™ and networks that communicate with the InternetProtocol and the World Wide Web as well as wireless transmission mediasuch as, for example, networks implemented according to the IEEE 802.11family of specifications. Persons skilled in the art will immediatelyrecognize that any computer system having suitable programming meanswill be capable of executing the steps of the method of the invention asembodied in a program product. Persons skilled in the art will recognizeimmediately that, although some of the exemplary embodiments describedin this specification are oriented to software installed and executingon computer hardware, nevertheless, alternative embodiments implementedas firmware or as hardware are well within the scope of the presentinvention.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that modificationsand changes may be made in various embodiments of the present inventionwithout departing from its true spirit. The descriptions in thisspecification are for purposes of illustration only and are not to beconstrued in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention islimited only by the language of the following claims.

1. A method of load shedding by an electric utility, the electricutility capable of providing electricity to one or more powerdistribution systems organized into one or more substations, at leastone power distribution system in at least one substation comprising adistributed renewable generation (‘DRG’) system, the DRG system capableof providing power to the electric utility, a local load, and one ormore batteries for storage, each power distribution system connected fordata communications through a data communications network to theelectric utility, the method comprising: querying, by the electricutility, a plurality of power distribution systems that include a DRGsystem for present power consumption of the local load of the powerdistribution system; selecting, in dependence upon the present powerconsumption of the local load of the plurality of power distributionsystems and predefined power consumption criteria for each substation, asubstation to receive a reduction in power; and reducing power providedto the selected substation.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein querying aplurality of power distribution systems that include a DRG system forpresent power consumption of the local load of the power distributionsystem further comprises: sending, by the electric utility to a controlengine of each of the plurality of power distribution systems thatincludes a DRG system through the data communications network in a datacommunications message, a request for the present power consumption ofthe local load of each power distribution system.
 3. The method of claim1 wherein the data communications network is a power line communications(‘PLC’) network.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting a substationto receive a reduction in power further comprises: averaging, for eachsubstation, the present power consumption of the local loads of powerdistribution systems that include a DRG system in the substation;calculating, for each substation having an average present powerconsumption greater than a predetermined expected power consumption forthat substation, a difference between the average present powerconsumption and the predetermined expected power consumption; andidentifying, as the substation to receive the reduction in power, asubstation having the greatest difference between the average presentpower consumption and the predetermined expected power consumption. 5.The method of claim 1 wherein selecting a substation to receive areduction in power further comprises: averaging, for each substation,the present power consumption of the local loads of power distributionsystems that include a DRG system in the substation; and identifying, asthe substation to receive a reduction in power, a substation having thegreatest average present power consumption.
 6. The method of claim 1wherein at least one DRG system comprises a photovoltaic (‘PV’) system.7. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one DRG system comprises amicro-hydroelectric system.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein at leastone DRG system comprises a wind turbine system.
 9. An apparatus for loadshedding by an electric utility, the electric utility capable ofproviding electricity to one or more power distribution systemsorganized into one or more substations, at least one power distributionsystem in at least one substation comprising a distributed renewablegeneration (‘DRG’) system, the DRG system capable of providing power tothe electric utility, a local load, and one or more batteries forstorage, each power distribution system connected for datacommunications through a data communications network to the electricutility, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computermemory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computermemory having disposed within it computer program instructions capableof: querying, by the electric utility, a plurality of power distributionsystems that include a DRG system for present power consumption of thelocal load of the power distribution system; selecting, in dependenceupon the present power consumption of the local load of the plurality ofpower distribution systems and predefined power consumption criteria foreach substation, a substation to receive a reduction in power; andreducing power provided to the selected substation.
 10. The apparatus ofclaim 9 wherein querying a plurality of power distribution systems thatinclude a DRG system for present power consumption of the local load ofthe power distribution system further comprises: sending, by theelectric utility to a control engine of each of the plurality of powerdistribution systems that includes a DRG system through the datacommunications network in a data communications message, a request forthe present power consumption of the local load of each powerdistribution system.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein selecting asubstation to receive a reduction in power further comprises: averaging,for each substation, the present power consumption of the local loads ofpower distribution systems that include a DRG system in the substation;calculating, for each substation having an average present powerconsumption greater than a predetermined expected power consumption forthat substation, a difference between the average present powerconsumption and the predetermined expected power consumption; andidentifying, as the substation to receive the reduction in power, asubstation having the greatest difference between the average presentpower consumption and the predetermined expected power consumption. 12.The apparatus of claim 9 wherein selecting a substation to receive areduction in power further comprises: averaging, for each substation,the present power consumption of the local loads of power distributionsystems that include a DRG system in the substation; and identifying, asthe substation to receive a reduction in power, a substation having thegreatest average present power consumption.
 13. A method ofparticipating in electric utility load shedding, the electric utilitycapable of providing electricity to one or more power distributionsystems organized into one or more substations, at least one powerdistribution system in each substation comprising a distributedrenewable generation (‘DRG’) system, the DRG system capable of providingpower to the electric utility, a local load, and one or more batteriesfor storage, each power distribution system connected for datacommunications through a data communications network to the electricutility, the method comprising: receiving from the electric utility, bya control engine of a power distribution system that includes a DRGsystem, a query for present power consumption of the local load of thepower distribution system; determining whether a present state of chargeof the one or more batteries of the power distribution system is greaterthan a predetermined threshold; and responding to the electric utility'squery with the present power consumption of the local load only if thepresent state of charge of the one or more batteries of the powerdistribution system is greater than the predetermined threshold.
 14. Themethod of claim 13 wherein the DRG system further comprises aphotovoltaic (‘PV’) system.
 15. The method of claim 13 wherein the DRGsystem further comprises a micro-hydroelectric system.
 16. The method ofclaim 13 wherein the DRG system further comprises a wind turbine system.17. An apparatus for participating in electric utility load shedding,the electric utility capable of providing electricity to one or morepower distribution systems organized into one or more substations, atleast one power distribution system in each substation comprising adistributed renewable generation (‘DRG’) system, the DRG system capableof providing power to the electric utility, a local load, and one ormore batteries for storage, each power distribution system connected fordata communications through a data communications network to theelectric utility, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, acomputer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, thecomputer memory having disposed within it computer program instructionscapable of: receiving from the electric utility, by a control engine ofa power distribution system that includes a DRG system, a query forpresent power consumption of the local load of the power distributionsystem; determining whether a present state of charge of the one or morebatteries of the power distribution system is greater than apredetermined threshold; and responding to the electric utility's querywith the present power consumption of the local load only if the presentstate of charge of the one or more batteries of the power distributionsystem is greater than the predetermined threshold.
 18. The apparatus ofclaim 17 wherein the DRG system further comprises a photovoltaic (‘PV’)system.
 19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the DRG system furthercomprises a micro-hydroelectric system.
 20. The apparatus of claim 17wherein the DRG system further comprises a wind turbine system.